Pride Rock is a Kingdom that must be carried on,
which is what the new Queen must figure out how. She is the Heir to Pride Rock,
but a terrible past haunts her deeply. With the help of her friends and family,
she hopes to pull through into a better future, and carry on the Circle of
Life.

Note:The
characters Mangel, Singa, Shyla, Timba, Runu, Aurora, Larka, Pala, Sithuka,
Zaraku, Garofé, Sekeita, Kadio, Tanko, Onay and Baynarr have been created by me
and are not allowed to be used without my permission, so please email me first
if you would like to use any of them. And I apologize if any are the same in
other fan-ficts and I didn’t know, so I won’t change anything unless you email.
You can also email me at wolfcub_gemini@usa.com if you would like to say anything
about the stories. The characters, Simba, Mufasa, Scar, Sarabi, Sarafina, Nala,
Rafiki, Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu, Vitani, Nuka and Zira have been created by Disney.

Warning: You won’t get this if you haven’t read my other stories, The Lion
King III: A Clash of Kingdoms, The Lion King IV: The Lost Trio (all three
parts) and The Lion King V: Attempts of the White Lioness. And obviously you
won’t get any of those if you haven’t seen the movies, The Lion King and The
Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.

Characters

Simba- Once King of Pride Rock, father of Kiara, and
mate of Nala

Nala- Once
Queen of Pride Rock, mother of Kiara, and mate of Simba

Mufasa- Once King of Pride Rock, mate of Sarabi, and
Simba’s father

Sarabi- Once Queen of Pride Rock, mate of Mufasa, and
Simba’s mother

Rafiki- Shaman of Pride Rock and brother of Garofé

Kiara- Queen of Pride Rock, mother of Mangel and
Shyla, and mate of Kovu

Kovu- King of
Pride Rock, father of Mangel and Shyla, and mate of Kiara

Timon- Royal baby-sitter and friend of the prides

Pumbaa- Royal baby-sitter and friend of the prides

Zazu- Royal majordomo of Pride Rock

Zira- Mother of Kovu, Vitani and Nuka

Nuka- Son of Zira, brother of Kovu and Vitani

Vitani- Daughter of Zira, sister of Kovu and Nuka

Mangel- King of the Boulder of Strength, father of
Aurora, Timba and Runu, older brother of Shyla, and mate of Singa

Singa- Queen of the Boulder of Strength, mother of
Aurora, Timba and Runu, and mate of Mangel

Zaraku- Once King of the Boulder of Strength (Gry),
father of Singa, and mate of Sithuka

Sithuka- Once Queen of the Boulder of Strength (Cry),
mother of Singa, and mate of Zaraku

Shyla- Daughter of Kovu and Kiara, baby sister of
Mangel, and princess of Pride Rock

Aurora-
Daughter (youngest) of Mangel’s and Singa’s, and princess of the Boulder of
Strength

Runu- Son
(middle one) of Mangel’s and Singa’s, and prince of the Boulder of Strength

Timba- Son (oldest) of Mangel’s and Singa’s, and
prince of the Boulder of Strength

Pala- Tigress, friend of the prides

Garofé- Used to be shaman of the Boulder of Strength,
brother of Rafiki

Sekeita- Sister of Kadio and Tanko

Tanko- Brother of Kadio and Sekeita

Kadio- Brother of Tanko and Sekeita

Pala- Guardian of Shyla, tigress in the Pride Rock
pride

Larka- Friend of Aurora’s, Timba and Runu, and mate of
Timba

Baynarr- Son of Timba and Larka, prince of the Boulder
of Strength

Onay- Royal majordomo of Pride Rock

Monagbor- Lion
friend of Shyla’s

Chapters

1. The New Heir (Tree of Life, Pridelands)

2. Telling of the Dream (Strengthlands)

3. Reuniting Love (Pride Rock)

4. Lessons for a Cub (Pridelands)

5. A Meeting (Outlands)

6. Death (Pride Rock to Tree of Life to Pride Rock)

7. Delivered News (Pridelands)

8. A New Lion (Pridelands to Pride Rock)

9. Chatting Under the Starts (Pridelands to Tree of
Life)

10. Knowing Revenge (Dusklands)

11. Swept by the River (Pridelands)

Pride Rock’s Heir (Pride Rock)

13. The New Heir (Pride Rock)

One

~The New Heir~

(Tree of Life, Pridelands)

The sun was high as many animals gathered at
Pride Rock. On top of Pride Rock, right on its peak was a lioness who walked
very slowly. She was a beautiful dark gold. In her jaws was a newborn cub. Its
fur was in-between light and dark—almost—yellow. The baby blue eyes blinked
many times as it was carried to the very tip of the peak. Finally, the lioness
dropped it slightly so that it now hung from its scruff. And then, she took one
last step at the tip, her left front paw up and curled, herself standing tall
on all fours so that the baby was hanging over the tip. All the animals many
many yards down started to cheer and bow. Four lions’ faces appeared in the
clouds. They were smiling down at the new heir to Pride Rock, and sending their
love and light upon it, letting the sun shine down on it.

At last it was over and the lioness turned
around as all the animals started to leave. She turned with the baby in her
mouth still and spotted its mother: another beautiful lioness, but, she was
very unusual, for she was all white. Both lionesses smiled at each other. And
then, the shaman turned to see the father beside the white lioness. Except…he
was blurry.

Suddenly
Aurora woke up with a start. She breathed deeply, looking around at her new
home. Now that she was the new shaman she lived in Rafiki’s tree with him. The
Tree of Life. He was sleeping slightly on a nearby branch as she was laying in
a high part of the tree, too.

"Rafiki," she whispered, wonderingly.

The baboon
peaked out of one sleep eye. "Yes?"

Sitting up and staring at him, Aurora said, louder
now, "Rafiki, I had a dream."

"Was it dee one with da stampeded?"

She shook her head.

Opening both eyes, he sat up and listened. "Go
on,"

"Well, I was there and…I was holding the new
prince…or was it a princess? Well, I’m not sure, but anyway, I held a new cub
at Pride Rock. And when I turned around, I saw its mother."

"Who was its mother?"

"…Shyla…"

Rafiki’s brow raised. "Really?"

She nodded. "And the dad…Well I’m not sure who
that was. He was too blurry and then I woke up."

"Peculiar," the baboon replied.

Aurora suddenly got up and took some coconut juice and
smeared it on a blank part of the tree with her paw.

"What ‘aw you doing Aurora?"

"I’m
painting the new prince…or princess. I’m painting the new heir to Pride
Rock."

When she was
done, she took a step back to examine her work. Upon the tree was a small cub
of light and dark yellow. She grinned at it and took some orange juice and
rubbed it across its head as she had seen Rafiki do to all the other cub
paintings of Kings and Queens. She could even see the faint orange on her own
picture. Around herself it was outlined with brown to show she was adult, but
there was still the sign of the cub upon her forehead that was just barely
noticeable now. Rafiki had done that.

"And Rafiki, there was also Mufasa, Sarabi, Simba
and Nala in the clouds…"

"It must mean something." replied the old
shaman.

"Well, I know I haven’t seen the new cub yet, but
Rafiki," purred the lioness. "I think it will come…and soon."

Two

~Telling of the Dream~

(Strengthlands)

"Aurora, you’re crazy!" Timba cried.

The lioness was in the Strengthlands now, with her
brother Timba, her sister-in-law Larka, and her parents Mangel and Singa. It
was the next day near evening, and she had told them about the dream and how
she thought Shyla was going to come back into the light and give birth to the
new heir of Pride Rock.

"No I’m not!" she roared.

"But you even said so yourself that Shyla was
evil!"

"Yes well…" Aurora looked down a second,
then looked back up at Timba. "Shyla’s coming back into the light. Rafiki
even said the dream meant something."

"Yeah, something. But probably not this!"

"Then what would it mean, Timba?"

"…I, don’t know."

She snickered at him.

"Hunny, listen to her. Maybe she’s right,"
said Larka, licking her mate. "After all, she is the new shaman. And your
sister."

"Well I don’t believe Shyla will ever come into
the light," he growled and turned around.

Singa and
Mangel licked Aurora before following their son. Larka bid her a goodbye and
followed as well as the shaman started back for the Pridelands.

"Besides," said Singa. "Everyone
deserves a second chance and…as sad as it was for Runu to die, it really wasn’t
her fault."

"Everyone says that!" Timba yelled out.

He stalked off
toward the Kingdom when suddenly Baynarr came pouncing around. He was with
another lioness who was taking care of him.

"Hello,
Baynarr," Timba said, more gently now.

Baynarr
giggled and pounced at his father. "Daddy I caught a bug today!" he
squealed with delight.

His parents and grandparents chuckled. Larka started
to lick her son. "That’s great," she purred.

"Keep at
it and you’ll be a fine hunter one day," Mangel replied.

"He sure will," Singa said, nuzzling her
grandson.

"C’mon," Timba then said. "It’s getting
dark. We should be heading back t’ the Kingdom."

With that,
they all started to make their way to the Boulder of Strength.

Three

~Reuniting Love~

(Pride Rock)

Just the next day, Shyla would be found pacing back and forth in
Pride Rock’s cave, growling lowly to herself. The three lionesses were still
guarding her.

"Shyla…we really do love you," said Kiara,
staring at her daughter.

"If you
did you would’ve come for me!" roared the white lioness, her blue eyes
tingling with rage as she stopped to stare back at her parents. But the
guarding lionesses were still between them.

"Listen, Shyla!" Kovu roared back.
"Your mother and I both love you, no matter what you say or think!"

Shyla’s eye narrowed. But Kovu held the gaze. It had
been just three days after she was captured and put here. As Shyla studied her
father, she saw really how old he was. As well as her mother. Both had many
scars and scratches over their bodies from years past. They were so old, they
had even seen the legendary Simba, and would’ve seen even Mufasa if Scar hadn’t
killed him. Oh how Shyla had missed them over the years. How she had wanted to
be with them while she grew, and she knew they felt the same thing. Right then,
she was full of disgust, but not hate…love. She felt love and disgust at the
same time. So, she wanted to nuzzle into their fur, at the same time reject
them. But, she knew she couldn’t hold it any longer and finally she ran passed
the guards and nuzzled between Kovu and Kiara.

"Mama! Daddy!" she cried, but finding that
she was pitying herself for this.

"Shyla!" Kiara cried, nuzzling her daughter
back. "We missed you so much! We would’ve gone looking for you, but we
didn’t know where you were and it would’ve messed up the future for this—"

"Mother, OK!" Shyla whimpered. "I love
you."

"I love you, too."

"The years have finally passed and we’re a family
again," Kovu cried. "I love you, Shyla."

Shyla then said, "I love you, too, Daddy."

Then Shyla looked around, her ears folded back.

"What is it?" Kiara asked, sniffling but
taking her own paw and wiping away one of her daughter’s tears.

"We are a family again except Mangel," she
whispered.

There was silence as the whole pride stared at the
King, Queen and princess. Pala was in the pride now, for Kiara and Kovu had
excepted her. She smiled warmly at them.

"Shyla, I have a question," said Kovu.

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Well, Mangel went to carry on the pride and
Kingdom over at the Boulder of Strength. Right after he left, it was our
original intention to have you take over this pride and Kingdom, and carry on the Circle of Life as
well."

"Was there a question in there?"

"Well…are you going to carry on with this and
become Queen?"

Shyla smiled. Quickly, she glanced around, then at
Pala, who smiled at her. The lioness turned back to her parents and nodded.
"Yes. I think I will."

Four

~Lessons for a Cub~

(Pridelands)

"Before you become Queen, Shyla, you need to learn how to be." exclaimed Kiara.

The day was sunny and they were out in the Pridelands.
As anxious as the two old lions were to be the Gry and Cry, they both decided
to their duty as King and Queen and parents, that they should take it slow and
teach Shyla what she needed to know in order to become a great Queen. After
all, they had only taught so much when she was a cub, and even then Shyla
hadn’t remembered. Only what was taught to her by Sekeita, Kadio and Tanko. Her
parents were "lightening her up." They were teaching her the ways, as
if she was still a cub.

"Everything exists in a delicate balance,"
explained her mother. "If you really want to be Queen, then you must
understand that balance."

"What d’ ya mean?" asked Shyla, walking
slowly between her parents and listening carefully. This is like lessons for
a cub, she
thought to herself, almost embarrassed.

"This balance contains everything…Everything from
the crawling ant, to the leaping antelope."

"Huh?"

Kovu smiled and turned to his mate. There was a glint
in his green eyes and then he leapt on a rock—stumbling a bit, though, from his
old age so he wasn’t so graceful—looking down at Kiara and Shyla—ironically it
was the rock he had leapt on when Mangel was still just a cub and the one Kovu
had gotten on to sing the song—and suddenly, he began to sing.

(Kovu singing)~

(In the tune of The Circle of Life—different
lyrics)

As the cheetahs run all about, and the antelope
leap together,

There is something that we have found out, and
it will be here forever,

It’s the circle of life, and it keeps everything
alive,

Into the light we one day will dive,

While we
all keep on flying and we all go on giving,

There is something that keeps everything dying
and everything living

It’s the circle of life, and it keeps everything
as one,

It lets us all in the run

"OK," said Shyla after the song. " I
think I get it. But what was that all about?"

Chuckling, Kovu climbed back down. "That was a
song I sang to Mangel one day. Now, when we arrange a meeting for you and him
and both prides, you will see how great of a King he was."

"It was like he had learned it from your father’s
song, Shyla," Kiara giggled and licked her daughter on the head.

"Wait, what do you mean ‘how great of a King he was’?" the young lioness
questioned.

"Well, Mangel and Singa both were a great King
and Queen, and as you know, gave birth to three little ones." Kovu
explained. "Well now your cousins, Timba, Aurora and Runu are all grownup,
and have little ones of their own."

"That means you guys are great
grandparents!" cried Shyla, surprised.

"Don’t
rub it in," Kovu mumbled, but they laughed.

"But," Kiara then said, after their laughter.
"Mangel and Singa had planned to let the three—along with any mates if
they had—to rule the Kingdom the Boulder of Strength together. But Aurora
decided to become the new shaman, as your father and I aren’t the only old ones
around here," She smirked. "So she’s not Queen. Timba’s King, and
Larka is his mate so she’s obviously Queen. And…you know what happened to Runu
and you’ve met your nephew." Those last words sounded sad and awkward.

Shyla was
about to start crying, along with her parents, when suddenly she was hit hard
over the head with a stick.

"Ow!" she cried. "What was that for?!"

They all looked to where Rafiki was. He chuckled.
"You can e’der run from da past, or, land from it. Now what ‘aw you going
to do?"

He held the stick up, about to hit Shyla again when
she ducked.

"Great!" the baboon said with a laugh. Then
he wandered off to the Tree of Life.

"He was always a strange one," said Kiara,
watching the old shaman go.

Five

~A Meeting~

(Outlands)

News was delivered to Timba’s and Larka’s pride of the reuniting
family. So, they decided to bring together their prides in the Outlands. Hard
feelings for Shyla from Timba were still felt, but not from Aurora. She finally
began to understand.

"And
now," concluded Rafiki, weakly. "the heir of Pride Rock is back
and…" He glanced at Kovu and Kiara for permission. They nodded and he went
on. "You could call her, now, the Queen of Pride Rock. Whilst her parents
are now the new Gry and Cry."

Everyone cheered out in roars. But deep in Shyla, as
her stomach was full of knots from this all, she felt as if the cheers were
actually going out to her parents, instead of her.

"Finally," whispered Kovu to his mate.

They nuzzled.

"Yes," replied Kiara. "We finally get
to take it easy."

Everyone celebrated with a few fresh kills that they
shared. Many lions, though, frowned and made cold faces at Shyla. Timba and
Larka never let Baynarr near Shyla the whole time either.

Shyla sighed as she laid away from everyone while they
ate.

"What is it?" someone asked gently.

The white lioness looked up to see Aurora, who smiled
warmly down at her. "You know," replied Shyla. "I was…evil for
awhile. Evil."

"Well…it wasn’t your fault."

"Huh?" Shyla tilted her head. "How can
it not be my fault?"

"Sekeita and those other two kept you hostage and
brainwashed you. At first, I didn’t think that was it, but then Rafiki told me
and…I thought about it, so now I understand." She paused. "So…you don’t
have to feel bad about it."

With that the shaman trotted over to the kill to feast
with the others.

"But I do," whispered Shyla to herself.

"You must listen to her," someone else said.

Shyla perked
and saw Pala sitting by her, though she had just noticed the tigress.

"After all," Pala went on. "she is the wise shaman."

"Of course," Shyla replied, giving a weak
smile.

"Let’s eat something."

"No. You go ahead. I’m not hungry."

As Pala stalked over to the kill, Shyla sighed as her
stomach growled for she had not eaten anything that day or the day before. But who am I, she thought. to be in the presence of
them? Or to even rule half of them? How could they trust me? How could they
even let me be their Queen?

Shyla was lost in thought as her guardian brought her
some meat.

Six

~Death~

(Pride Rock to Tree of Life to Pride Rock)

In Pride Rock would be found a pride of many old lionesses as their
leaders were old, too, and hadn’t given any cubs to the family lately.

Kovu and Kiara
laid down in the back of the royal cave to rest their exhausted body and
fragile bones.

"Hunny," Kiara whispered, just barely
breathing.

"Yes, Mother?" Shyla asked, looking down at
her parents sadly, as she knew their death was very soon.

"I just would like you to know two things before
we leave,"

"What?" A tear trickled down Shyla’s cheek.

"That we
love you."

"I know that and I love you, too."

"And that we are one."

Shyla leaned down to let her mother lick and nuzzle
her before she took her last breath.

"Yes." Kovu then said and he licked Shyla.
"I love you and goodbye." He, too, died.

The pride was mournful, and all through the night were
roars of sadness.

"This isn’t right," whispered Shyla to
herself, crying. And then she looked up and started out of the cave.

"Where are you going?" Pala asked, padding
after her.

As Shyla
looked back to her guardian, she could see that the tigress was also old. Sad
from the death. And yet, there were no signs of expression on her face, nor in
her voice.

"Pala," Shyla whimpered. "My mother and
father should’ve died at the top of the Kingdom, and should’ve been pushed into
the water hole on the other side of it. Now, I’m getting Rafiki to do it."

"Well I’m coming with you then."

So the two went out, leaving their pride behind.

At the Tree of Life it was dark. It was night and
Aurora and Rafiki were sleeping.

"What are you doing?!" Aurora called down to
Shyla and Pala, sleepily. She then leapt from the tree and landed in front of
them.

"Aurora, can you wake Rafiki up?" Pala
meowed nicely.

"Aurora!" Shyla cried, though. "Get Rafiki,
now!"

"Why?"

"My parents died!"

Aurora gasped and leapt into the tree again. She
hurriedly made her way on the flat part, glancing at all the pictures until she
came to Rafiki. The lioness started to paw at him, but he felt cold and stiff.
"Oh no," she whispered to herself.

The death of the Gry and Cry as well as the old shaman
was so painful that no one could deliver the news to the other pride for
awhile.

"I, as
the new shaman," said Aurora gravely. She was talking to the pride while
they were at Pride Rock. It was the next day. "will push off the Gry and
Cry. Next, the old shaman will fall. The three of them will land in the ancient
water hole at the back of Pride Rock."

The lionesses were all crying.

Aurora sadly sprinkled out sand on each of their
bodies, (a few lionesses had dragged them out of the cave, as Rafiki had been
brought to the Kingdom, too). And then, she first pushed Kiara into the water
hole. Her mate came next. Last but not least, was Rafiki.

Seven

~Delivered News~

(Pridelands)

One day, just the next week Shyla was at a water hole in the
Pridelands, sobbing. Pala came over and nuzzled her.

Suddenly, a strange looking hornbill fluttered over to
them. She was mainly red, but the rest of her was covered in black and yellow
feathers. Another weird thing about her was that she didn’t care about the two
cats that were right near her. The young bird started to drink up from the
water hole.

"Hello," she then said as she looked up at
them after her drink. "Who are you?"

"I’m Shyla,"

"I’m
Pala."

This took Pala by surprise, not only because the bird
spoke to them, and without fear, but that Shyla actually replied, and to
something pointless.

"I am Onay," screeched the bird happily.
"Why so down?"

"Can you deliver some news for me," Shyla
then asked, getting up.

"Why of course! I would love to!"

As Pala watched with amazement, Shyla, wiping away her
tears with her paws, the white lioness explained to the bird all that happened.
Then she nodded to the north where the Boulder of Strength would be found,
faraway, though. Yet Onay didn’t mind. In fact, she loved long distances, she
told them. And then, the hornbill took off.

The news was
delivered. At the Boulder of Strength everyone was heartbroken. But it felt
good to get it off her chest, Shyla had thought.

From then on,
Onay took Zazu’s place as the messenger, the majordomo, a friend and much more.

Eight

~A New Lion~

(Pridelands to Pride Rock)

At the same water hole Shyla had met Onay, she was now drinking. It
was a couple days later in the evening. But as the lioness looked into the
water she gasped and turned around suddenly. She had seen another lion in the
water. A stranger. But now that she was looking behind her, she saw no one. She
tilted her head. My
eyes are playing games on me, she thought. But then, she saw a tail tuff in the
yellow grass. Growling, Shyla laid on her stomach and slowly crawled to it.
Right when she was about to push apart the rest of the grass to see the rest of
the lion, it revealed nothing, and the tail tuff was gone. She tilted her head
again.

"What?" she asked herself. "I’m seeing
things." She shook.

"Really?" someone asked, which made her
jump.

Again, she turned around to see the stranger. He was a
little darker than Simba and thinner at that. Somewhat like Scar’s figure, but
not as skinny. His main was brown and
he, all together, was a brown-gold color. His face and snout were long, like
Scar’s, too.

"Who are you?" snarled Shyla.

"I’m sorry," he said slyly, though smirking.
"I am Monagbor. I’ve traveled a long deal from my home to find a pride to
join."

"Why did you leave your first pride?"
questioned the lioness suspiciously.

The lion took a step closer and whispered, almost
shakily, "A lioness does not know what kind of life a lion has—a hell,
starting even before full adulthood." He stepped back and looked strong
again.

"Yes I do." Shyla declared. "The lions
we have in my pride are treated with respect, as everyone is."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Well I was banished from my pride when I was
just a young adolescent, as almost all male lions are. For many many suns I
traveled. I stumbled upon your territory, not smelling any signs from males.
Now," he smirked. "I can take over this pride and become a strong
leader."

"Ha!" Shyla laughed, almost sarcastically.
"They already have a leader, and that’s me."

"Well, you’re gonna need a male by your
side."

"Are you talking about being my mate? Because
you’re not going to be my mate and I don’t need a male by my side. I’m
doing just fine."

"Two is better than one when it comes to leading
a pride."

"Unless one of them is mentally challenged." The lioness
bobbed her head to Monagbor.

The lion blinked and stopped growling, taking a step
back and examining Shyla. "Your Kingdom?" he asked.

She nodded. "My Kingdom."

"Oh m’ dear lady, I am sorry for intruding upon
your empire. I truly didn’t know you were a Queen."

"Well now you do. So leave."

Nodding, the lion got up, turned around, but then
looked back over his shoulder at her. "Uh, one question…Where’s the
King?"

"There is no King! Haven’t you been hearing what I’m
saying?!"

"All right all right." his tail twitched.
"One more question…"

"You just said that and asked me something
already!"

"…How are you going to carry on the pride without
a King?"

"I can do just fine without a male!"

"Yes but…I mean…How are you literally going to
carry it on? You know, by producing cubs…?"

Shyla blinked. She had never thought of that before.
And it was true, as she was the heir to Pride Rock, and she would need to bear
another one. Especially since their pride was old now—most of the lionesses.
For Kiara and Kovu had lived many years and she was their last cub.

"That’s it! You’re out’ta here!" she growled
and took a step toward him.

He looked back in front of him and started trotting
away. "OK, but remember, your pride will soon die if you cannot carry it
on."

Shyla gasped quietly and blinked. How would she carry on this pride
without a mate? And none of the other lionesses had mates of their own.

Nine

~Chatting Under the Stars~

(Pridelands to Tree of Life)

That night, Shyla came to Aurora for help. Together, in the
Pridelands, near the Tree of Life, they laid side by side under the twinkling
stars. Shyla told Aurora what had happened.

Aurora thought about telling Shyla about her vision.
But she silenced herself. "I know things have been hard, Shyla," then
she finally said. "But if you put your heart to it, it can get
better."

Shyla scowled. "C’mon! Enough with this talk! I
just wanna know if there’s ever gonna be a King to Pride Rock!" she
blurted out, which took even herself by surprise.

"I do not know if there will be a King, Shyla. I
hope one day there will be. If there isn’t…then be sure to end your pride and
family peacefully, lovingly…cherish the last moments and remember all the
generations before yours."

"Aurora!
Are you saying I’m going to be the one to end the
pride?! Will it really come do disaster like that?!"

"It’s not
bad if you are the one to end that pride. It will not be a disaster if you
don’t make it one."

"How can the ending of a family, and a royal one
at that who has lived over the many years, not be a disaster?!" Shyla was
almost in tears as she got up and looked down at her niece.

"Indeed
it will be sad, Shyla. But it’s got to end sometime. Everything and everyone
dies and ends." Aurora sighed. "I’m not saying you’re actually going
to be the one to end it. But you are talking about what happens if you don’t
get a mate to be King. Well, this is what will happen. Your family will die. It
will be sad but great that a royal family has passed on through the generations
and lived long and great lives. But, at the same time, you can cherish the
moments before the ending. And then, when it does happen, it does not have to
be painful as you are thinking. Who knows? You could all die peacefully in your
sleep, as all lions should when they are old. That way, it would not be a
disaster. And, you’ve finally ended something so great."

Shyla got up and started walking sadly back to Pride
Rock.

This talk had been a sad but truthful one. Except,
even though Aurora took surprise at her own words, and new it could be true,
and one day would be, if not with Shyla, but someone else in the future, the
shaman was quite sure Shyla would not be the one to end it.

Even as the white lioness stalked back to her home,
she would think. She would think about her life and the past memories and how
painful they were. And how she had made things painful for others. Her head,
tail and ears were drooped, when suddenly she perked and thought strongly. No. she said in her mind,
determined. I
have already caused others pain and grief. I will not end a whole empire. A
whole Kingdom. A whole family. It is meant for someone to do, but not me. And
it’s not meant to end…not yet. This is not my destiny to first kill, and then
let someone be killed…and then let a whole family be killed. This is not my
way. Not our future yet. I will find a mate and bear the new heir to Pride
Rock…one day.

Ten

~Knowing Revenge~

(Dusklands)

"Sekeita, what are you thinking about?" asked Kadio
with curiosity.

They were out in the Dustlands.

"Revenge,
my brother, revenge…And, how it could’ve been."

"What do you mean?" growled Tanko.

"I am talking about the new chosen one. Scar had
told me—before that Simba killed him—of the Ancient Lion Cry. That would be the
verse to pick the new chosen one. But alas, all the attempts and tests have
been failed."

"I know by the two other ones," Kadio
replied. "But what about the white one?"

"Shyla?" Sekeita started to growl. Then she
shook her head. "If Shyla was the real chosen one, then she would’ve
completed her last task…which was to rule both Kingdoms."

"But, Shyla, she is ruling Pride Rock. That’s one
of ‘em."

"What will that do us? If we are seen, her pride
will kill us…No, Kadio. Shyla has been pulled back into the light anyway. There
is no way she is the chosen one. There’s no chosen one that could fulfill
Scar’s dreams."

"Unless…" started Tanko. Sekeita perked.

"Unless
what?" she asked.

"Unless we could pull her back into the
dark."

"No. You’re a fool! She can’t be pulled here and
there! She’s been pulled enough! She’s already seen the light. Now this is the
second time she’s in it, and, she would never want to come back to the dark
after the love she’s feeling with her family, even if she was forced she’s
refuse!"

"That was only suggestion…but, I mean…what if we
stole her cub?"

"She has no cub."

"What if she does one day? Then we could cubnap
it, bring it back here, train it and then it could take over for us…for Scar.
Like we had with Shyla, except nothing would go wrong this time."

"No…I am old. We all are. It’s too much of a risk
to cubnap it. It’s too much of a risk to do all that. By the time the time the
cub’s a teen, we’ll have died of old age anyway. And the hyenas are gone and it
wouldn’t have fulfilled its training by then and oh…We couldn’t. No.

"What I
am thinking is revenge, Tanko. We must travel to Pride Rock…and kill Shyla. For she had betrayed
us. And, even though we will probably die in doing so, at least we will have
avenged Scar…or us I might as well say. For it was Simba he wanted dead, and
we…want her dead. Yes. That is what we will do with the last part of our lives;
Kill my daughter."

Eleven

~Swept by the River~

(Pridelands)

Night ended quickly. The next day it was bright out. Shyla’s
thoughts were deep, and, as she rested at the same water hole again, she saw
Monagbor.

"You!" she snarled. "How many times must I tell you
to leave my land?"

"I know I know." he said. "But I’m
thirsty and there’s no other water holes about." He started to lap up the
water beside the annoyed Shyla.

Shyla thought for a bit…maybe, just maybe…but no. She
shook the thought out of her head and growled. And yet, for many days, Monagbor
always came back in the Pridelands, and his excuse every time was to drink out
of the water hole. It didn’t take long for the two to finally start liking each
other. Every day they’d play and room each other and whatnot, hanging out. Both
Pala and Aurora watched, amused and happy.

One night,
when Monagbor and Shyla were both alone in the Pridelands, facing north but
just west of Pride Rock, they were laying in the grass, grooming one another
and purring. But then, something made a noise. A twig snapped and they both
jerked behind them to see a lioness and two lions.

"Finally
alone, are you?" the lioness said sarcastically, and she smirked.

"No," Shyla whispered, gulping as she got up
to face them with Monagbor. "What are you doing here, M-Sekeita?"

Sekeita started to laugh.

"Who are
they?" asked Monagbor.

"Why,
aren’t you going to call me Mother?" the lioness then growled, with a
snicker.

"She’s
your mother?"

"Shush,
Monagbor. She’s not
my
mother."

The three lions started to step forward, toward the
Queen and her friend. Suddenly, Shyla was pounced by Sekeita. They both started
rolling.

"Shyla!" Monagbor cried as he leapt on Sekeita.

The other,
lions, though, pulled him away. So, the five lions fought long and hard, biting
and roaring and rolling and slashing. At last, they came to a river.

Shyla suddenly
got up to push the old lioness in. As Sekeita roared out and was swept away,
she joined her friend to fight her "uncles."

"Get
help, Onay!" she cried out as she spotted the squawking hornbill.

"Of
course!" and the bird fluttered away to the Kingdom.

"Ah!" Monagbor yelled as Kadio almost pushed him in the
water.

Shyla and him
managed to push Kadio in, instead. Now, the only one left was Tanko. Even
though he was old, he was the biggest. They started to fight. At last, as it
started to rain, the Pride Rock pride ran down the hill and pushed the stranger
in the river to watch him be swept away as well.

As Aurora climbed back in the tree, she blinking at
the picture at Shyla, for she still looked like a cub. Chuckling, the shaman
took some juice on her paw and smeared it around the white lioness. You forgot to do that,
Rafiki, she
thought to herself.

Twelve

~Pride Rock’s Heir~

(Pride Rock)

The next day, Shyla and Monagbor would be found within
Pride Rock. Both were barely injured. Just a few scratches about their bodies.

At last, the shaman came in to see them and their
pride.

"Shyla!
Are you OK?" Aurora cried.

"She and
the other are both all right," Pala answered for them.

As the tigress
and lioness started to talk, Shyla turned to Monagbor and winked, for they both
knew something was going to happen very soon. Shyla was pregnant. When her
belly would be all swollen, she would give birth.

"I think I’ve found the King of Pride Rock."
Shyla then said. Everyone looked at her, surprised.

"Welcome,
heir to Pride Rock." Aurora purred, looking at Shyla and smiling. "I
know you will bear another heir, too."

Thirteen

~The New Heir~

(Pride Rock)

The sun was high as many animals gathered at Pride Rock. On top of
Pride Rock, right on its peak was a lioness who walked very slowly. She was a
beautiful dark gold. In her jaws was a newborn cub. Its fur was in-between
light and dark—almost—yellow. The baby blue eyes blinked many times as it was
carried to the very tip of the peak. Finally, the lioness dropped it slightly
so that it now hung from its scruff. And then, she took one last step at the
tip, her left front paw up and curled, herself standing tall on all fours so
that the baby was hanging over the tip. All the animals many many yards down
started to cheer and bow. Four lions’ faces appeared in the clouds. They were
smiling down at the new heir to Pride Rock, and sending their love and light
upon it, letting the sun shine down on it.

At last it was over and the lioness turned around as
all the animals started to leave. She turned with the baby in her mouth still
and spotted its mother: another beautiful lioness, but, she was very unusual,
for she was all white. Both lionesses smiled at each other. And then, the
shaman turned to see the father beside the white lioness. Monagbor. The mates
nuzzled each other, then their new cub.